Parents learn dangers of opioids, heroin at town hall meeting

A child is hurt, playing sports, or otherwise. And the injury requires pain meds.

Advertisement – Content Continues Below

What was once no big deal, is now a major cause for concern: That opioid prescription can lead to addiction.

So parents gathered at La Salle Institute Wednesday night to find out more about the family of drugs destroying families and taking lives.

Robert Bourgeois was there with his 8th grade son.

"And I think that's the scary thing. They think it's not going to happen to them, or it's not going to hurt, or I'm only going to do it one time. I'm just going to try this," said Bourgeois, who lives in Green Island.

The stats are scary. And getting scarier. One in three become addicted.

"This is the worst I have seen," said Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple who told the audience that drugs will usually wane in popularity. Not heroin.

"We have this wheel. I always say wheel of misfortune, and it's got all your marijuana and everything. And usually the drugs will fall off and this drug is just stuck on there like glue."

So the jails are crowded.

The sheriff's office uses a rolling exhibit, a converted bus, complete with a jail cell, to remind kids and others of where the drug can lead them.

La Salle Middle School Principal Steve Sgambelluri set up the heroin town hall meeting.

"It's trickling down into our kids. And they're getting younger and younger. Unfortunately it's here and It's a problem we want to face head on," said Sgambelluri.

And facing it head on begins with prevention. If kids don't try it, they won't become addicts.

Apple says In addition to watching your kids like a hawk, keep track of their medicines.

"Monitor the prescription that they're getting. Mom or dad should hold them and dispense them as appropriate."